Rodney and Jeannie Missing Scenes
by theicemenace
Summary: What would annoy Rodney the most regarding his sister and her trips to Atlantis? The following are a few short scenes that should have been in the Rodney and Jeannie episodes but weren’t.
1. McKay and Mrs Miller Missing Scenes

**A/N: **What would annoy Rodney the most regarding his sister? Well, we all know that the most annoying thing would be for his sister, if she were single, to become involved romantically with John Sheppard. But what else? These are a few short scenes that _should_ have been in "McKay and Mrs. Miller" but weren't.

**McKay and Mrs. Miller**

**Scenes That Should Have Been Included But Weren't**

Jeannie Miller stood there looking around. All the corridors had started to look alike and she was lost. She'd been summoned to the Infirmary and thought she knew the way but… She sighed and sat down on a bench to wait for someone to pass by. Her eyes lit up when she heard footsteps. The relief turned to panic when the footsteps stopped then began to fade away.

"Wait!" She shouted and a few seconds later John Sheppard came into view. "Oh, Colonel Sheppard, thank God."

"Jeannie, I told you to call me John."

"John." She repeated obediently. "I'm…lost. Could you help me find the Infirmary, please?"

"No problem." He gestured and she followed him to a transport. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No. My brother is only God knows where and I haven't the faintest idea where the cafeteria is. Right now I don't even know where_ I_ am."

"That sounds like Rodney. It's a pretty good bet he'll end up in the Mess Hall before long. I'll take you to Dr. Beckett then to breakfast."

"Great." They left the transport and entered the Infirmary.

"Dr. Beckett, I have brought you a lost lamb." Sheppard announced waving a hand to indicate Jeannie.

"Ah, there y'are, lass." Carson patted an exam table. "Jump up here. Guess what I am going to do for you."

"Um, no idea."

"If you are agreeable, m'dear, I will give you the ATA gene therapy that Rodney's had." He smiled. "It will allow you to operate the Ancient technology as if you were born with it, like Colonel Sheppard here and myself."

"It would probably annoy Mer for me to be able to do what he does so…let's do it. You were born with it?" Jeannie laughed. "He was probably more than a little ticked off that you could do something he couldn't."

"Aye, he was. It was the only reason he let me use him as the first human trial." Carson pulled on gloves then prepared the injection.

Sheppard crossed his arms, leaning a hip on the end of the exam table. "On the upside, I did get to shoot him."

"What?!"

Both men smiled. "He used his new abilities to test a personal shield and had me to shoot him…in the leg. When that worked, I pushed him off the Ops balcony. Elizabeth wasn't happy but Rodney was ecstatic. Well, until he realized he couldn't get it off and would die of hunger and dehydration long before the power supply was depleted." The medical doctor pushed up the sleeve of her top, sanitized the injection site and stuck the needle in her arm.

She looked scared for a moment. "Obviously he figured out how to get it off."

Sheppard waggled his hand. "Sort of. Later, he used it to save the lives of everyone on the base but we can talk about that later."

"Hmm. I'm learning more and more about my brother every day. Mostly good things." Her face showed surprise. It was tempered by sadness for the four years of estrangement but she was very happy that they were on speaking terms again. "I have a really good idea." She jumped off the table and pulled her sleeve down. "Let's not tell him about this just yet."

"Deal. If this works, how would you like to learn how to pilot a Jumper?"

"Jumper? Oh, one of the shuttles. Sure!"

Carson and Sheppard exchanged a look that didn't pass unnoticed. "What?"

"Uh, well, there's just one more thing. Dr. Weir didn't exactly approve this so mum's the word."

"Oh." She mimed locking her lips and hiding the key. "So, which way is breakfast?"

*****

Hours later Jeannie Miller was on the patio, a cold glass of iced tea in her right hand when Sheppard found her. Her left hand was tapping at her computer. He pulled out a chair and sat next to her. "Ready to test if the gene therapy's worked?"

"Sure. How do we do that?"

"Easy." He handed her a life signs detector. "Hold this."

She held the device in her right hand while the left kept tapping at the computer. Her look of concentration as she worked was so much like Rodney's that Sheppard smiled. When the Ancient device started beeping her head came up with a look of astonishment. She waved it around watching the number of life signs change. "It's working! This is _so_ cool!"

"And, just as I promised, you'll get your first flying lesson whenever you're ready."

"Since we're keeping this from Mer, how about tonight after he's gone to bed?"

He made a small bow. "Your wish is my command."

She was so excited she threw her arms around him just as Rodney walked up to the table.

"Hey! What's going on here? You _do_ know she's married, right?"

The Air Force Colonel stood up, gave Rodney an annoyed look. "That's my cue. Bye."

She smiled brightly. "Thanks, John." When Sheppard was out of hearing range she slapped Rodney on the arm. "Meredith! What is _wrong_ with you? We were just talking."

"Well, from where I was standing it looked more like hugging."

"It was 'thanks for being a friend' hugging not 'gee, I'd like to get into your pants' hugging. Don't you trust me?"

The physicist exhaled loudly. "Yes, of course. It's _him…_" he pointed in the direction his friend had retreated "…I don't trust. Especially around attractive women."

"Oh, Meredith, you think I'm attractive? That is so sweet."

"Well, you know, you, uh, are my sister."

*****

It was night in Atlantis when Jeannie walked into Ops and up the stairs to the Jumper bay. Sheppard was already there powering up Jumper three. She waved. Over the PA he said, "Watch this…" And the ship faded from sight. "All you have to do is think about what you want it to do and it does it. Well, with a little assistance. You still have to push a few buttons. I'm sure you'll be a quick study."

The ship reappeared and she walked back to the hatch. Looking at the interior in amazement she said, "Wow."

"Ready to get started?"

"Yes!"

"Have a seat." The Jumper rose out of the bay then headed beyond the atmosphere. "We'll go out of the atmosphere where it's less likely you'll hit anything. Kind of like a big mall parking lot on Christmas morning. Let's start with the basics." She looked over his shoulder as he pointed out the different systems. "DHD, subspace communicator, inertial dampeners, hyperdrive, sensors, navigation, avionics, cloak/shield, autopilot, and, when you think good thoughts, you get" the HUD appeared, "the heads-up display."

"Got it."

"Ready to try it yourself?" He brought the ship to a stop then let her take his seat. "Okay, ease it forward."

She placed her hands on the console and pressed a few buttons. The HUD showed they were on an erratic flight path but when she tried to even it out she accidentally switched off the inertial dampeners. The ship bucked like a bronco and Sheppard fell face down onto the DHD. He pushed to his feet then was flung backward end over end, coming to a stop against the back hatch. "Aahh!" Jeannie looked over her shoulder and saw him curl up in the fetal position and cover his head when the overhead storage compartments popped open and their contents were ejected. "Oh, crap!"

"Jeannie, stop! Stop!"

"_How?!_ What do I _do?_" The Jumper started spinning, the centrifugal force pinning him to the ceiling and Jeannie in her seat. "John!"

"The first thing is…calm down! Remember, it reacts to your thoughts." His voice was strained as he watched her take a few deep breaths. The spinning finally slowed. "And second, turn the inertial dampeners back on!"

"Uh…" Jeannie looked at the console, located the right button and pressed it. The ship turned upright and their trajectory evened out. Sheppard fell to the floor. She went to his side as he climbed painfully to his feet and came forward. "Oh, John, I'm so, so sorry. This isn't going well, is it?"

"It's not going great but I wouldn't say it was…bad. You should have been here when I was training Rodney. And the first time I met Carson he was trying to activate the Control Chair in Antarctica and accidentally fired a drone at me. I was in a helicopter on the way to the base with General O'Neill at the time."

"Oh, my. Uh, maybe we should probably do this another time. Like, oh, never."

"No. No, it's fine. We'll just try again."

"If you're up for it, I have an idea."

"Great. Let's hear it."

"I sometimes volunteer at an after school program for grade school kids." Jeannie motioned for Sheppard to sit. He was confused but did as directed. "One of the girls was having a really hard time learning to knit so I, uh, had her sit in front of me, you know, on my lap. I put my hands on top of hers and showed her how to do it."

The breath snagged in Sheppard's throat. _Oh, man! If Rodney finds out his married sister was sitting on my lap I am a _dead man! _And I'm a guy. What happens if…no!_ _Do NOT go there!_ He told himself determinedly._ She's no one special. Just another trainee. A _married_ trainee. A female married trainee. Oh, crap! What did I get myself into?_

She noted his hesitation. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have suggested it."

"No, it's okay. It, uh, it's just that, if Rodney finds out…"

She rolled her eyes then eased between him and the console lowering herself gently onto his knees. "Then we'll have to make sure he doesn't find out."

"That works for me." He leaned forward, she put her hands on the controls and, after a moment's pause he placed his hands on top of hers. "Okay, ready?"

"Ready." Her mouth curled in amusement. "Just as long as you don't pretend to run out of gas."

"Funny, Miller. Just fly the damn thing."

"Aye, aye, Colonel."

After a few minutes she'd gained enough confidence to try it alone again only this time Sheppard made sure he was seated.

*****

The next night he took her out again with much better results. In fact, she piloted the ship until the autopilot took over when they returned to Atlantis.

The following afternoon Rodney and Jeannie collapsed the time/space bridge returning Rod to his own universe.

Later that night Sheppard went to Jeannie's quarters carrying a laptop. "I know you and Rodney are just getting to know each other again and it hasn't been an easy road but I have something that might help."

"What?"

He opened the laptop, placed it on the bed and cued up the video. Jeannie watched the screen raptly while the brother she'd been estranged from for four years told her that he'd finally realized how important family was because the people of Atlantis had become like a surrogate family.

"…When one is contemplating one's own demise, one tends to see things more clearly.

"I really do wish you the best, you know, and I'm sorry we weren't closer. Perhaps, um, if by chance I make it out of this, perhaps one day we can be. And I would like that." She stopped the recording.

"When did he record this?"

"A couple of years ago when we thought the bad guys were going to get us."

Her face took on an expression that was happy and sad at the same time. She was happy to have her brother back in her life but sad for everything they'd missed, that _he'd_ missed by not being a part of their family. "Now I've seen three sides of my brother."

Rodney walked in through the open door and was not happy to see Sheppard in his sister's room. "What are you two up to?" He asked with suspicion.

Jeannie closed the laptop and handed it to Sheppard. "Nothing. Just, uh, telling stories about you. You know, trying to help her fall asleep."

"Ha ha ha ha."

"I'll leave you guys alone." He left the room without a backward glance.

Rodney brought a gift for Madison then stumbled through an apology. He had now accepted that she was more than capable of making her own choices and she was happy with the life she'd made with her husband, Kaleb and her daughter, Madison.

She tried to extract a promise from him to come home for Christmas and, though he agreed, it was under the condition that her husband _not_ make Tofurkey. They had a laugh about his disdain for vegetarian cuisine and Rodney left her alone, happier now than he'd been in a long time and it showed on his face.

After seeing his sister off on the Daedalus in the morning Rodney went to the Mess Hall for a snack. His team was already there, again. This was the third time in recent weeks that he'd found them laughing and having fun without him. Once, he'd even interrupted them with Rod and Jeannie, and that was more annoying than anything because it reminded him yet again of what a bad brother he'd been to her.

"So, what's new?" To his immense satisfaction they said that they actually preferred him to his overly-nice counterpart. He pulled a chair up to the table and joined the conversation which, at the moment, was centered on Teyla's supposed attraction to one of the new Marines, which she vehemently denied by kicking Sheppard in the shin.

"You _know_ it's true." Ronon put in.

Rodney laughed. "And also not news."

**Done…For Now**


	2. The Shrine Missing Scenes Part 1

**A/N 1: **What would annoy Rodney the most regarding his sister? Well, we all know that the most annoying thing would be for his sister, if she were single, to become involved romantically with John Sheppard. But what else? These are a few short scenes that _should_ have been in "The Shrine" but weren't.

And once again, you have voyfan7 to thank/blame for the idea for this story and for the Beta. And thanks to LoneRanger1 for his input.

Sandy

**The Shrine**

**Scenes That Should Have Been Included But Weren't**

**Jeannie and the Gene - Part One**

"I'm fairly sure I can reconfigure the life signs detector."

"With _my_ help."

"So help!"

Rodney turned back to Jennifer. He looked scared though he tried not to. "Look, this isn't one of those PBS brain surgeries where my skull is wide open and I'm having a conversation?"

The medical doctor shook her head. "I have enough anesthetic to put you out. You won't feel a thing."

"It's probably a hammer."

_If it is, then_ I _get to hit him!_ _He is so infuriating and pigheaded! _Jeannie thought. _Oh, _God_ I hope this works!_

Despite Jennifer's dire warnings to Sheppard the surgery went off without a hitch, they returned to Atlantis and Rodney was himself again when he woke up.

*****

It was nighttime a few days later and Jeannie wanted to talk to Jennifer alone. As she approached the Infirmary she could hear her brother's voice but knew he was in his quarters because she'd just left him there. She didn't want to eavesdrop but his words captured her attention. Peeking around the corner she could see his face displayed on the monitor. Jennifer held a remote in her hands. This had to be one of the video logs made to monitor the progression of his decline.

"_Jennifer, uh, there's something I want to, uh, while I remember, while I still can. There's something I wanted to say before, uh…" _

"_Go ahead."_

"_I-I-I, I love you. Loved you for some time now." He blushed. "Okay, where was I?"_

Jeannie watched as Jennifer smiled, reversed the video and replayed the same section again. She didn't want to embarrass her friend so she backed out of the Infirmary and called out. "Jennifer?"

She switched off the monitor and turned to Jeannie with a smile. "Jeannie. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing much. I was just wondering how long it will be till Mer can go back to work full-time."

"We'll take it a few days at a time for right now. The stitches will come out in a week or so. The bone will take a minimum of four weeks to heal initially but it will be a while until its 100 percent. He actually heals rather quickly. I think it has something to do with him being so stubborn. He'll be able to go back part-time in a few days and drive, or rather _fly_ a few days after that. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking of staying around a couple of weeks so he and I can spend some time together." She looked at the floor then back at Jennifer. "He doesn't know I have the ATA gene yet. I thought I'd fly us to the mainland for the day. Hopefully, he won't be angry that John and Carson kept it from him."

"I'm sure he'd enjoy that."

"Yeah." She rolled her eyes. "But will _I_ once he finds out?"

Jennifer laughed. "I think this experience will mellow him a little. He almost lost everything, especially his mind, and that changes people, even someone like Rodney."

"We'll see." She headed for the exit. "Do you know where John is?"

"Here, give him a call." Jennifer passed her a headset.

Jeannie tucked the earpiece over her left ear and tapped it. "Colonel Sheppard, please come in."

"This is Sheppard. Jeannie, is that you?"

"Yes. Got a few minutes for a friend?"

She heard a small chuckle. "For you, any time. Mess Hall in five?"

"I'll be there." She handed the headset back to Jennifer. "Thanks."

*****

Jeannie arrived in the Mess Hall and found Sheppard already there. He held her chair then sat across from her. A cup of hot caffeine-free herbal tea was placed in front of her by a member of the kitchen staff.

"What's up?" He finally asked.

She took a sip of the hot brew. "I've decided to stay a couple of weeks and was thinking of taking Mer for a spin around the solar system. He still doesn't know I have the gene and, since he's still recovering I thought it might be a good idea for me to do the flying so…"

"You want a quick refresher course."

"Yeah." Her eyes were hopeful. "Can you help a girl out?"

"You bet. How about now?" He tossed back the last of his iced tea and they stood together leaving via the patio. He murmured a few words. She laughed and gave him a playful punch on the arm.

They didn't see a shadow separate itself from the deeper ones cast by the dim lighting of Atlantis' night.

*****

Rodney McKay watched his sister, his _married_ sister, slip furtively down the hall in the company of Colonel Kirks-a-lot. He'd come to the Mess Hall for a snack but what he'd just seen killed his appetite. He thought about following them but they'd taken the stairs and would hear him. _Maybe I should…_ He started when he heard a sharp female voice call his name.

"Rodney!"

Turning around he saw Jennifer standing there, hands on hips and her "me doctor, you patient" expression. "_What_ are you doing out of your room? I told you to _rest!_"

"I, uh…"

She came forward and took him firmly by the arm. "Come on."

"B-b-but…" He pointed over his shoulder at the Mess Hall.

"No _buts_. The best thing for you right now is _rest_." He finally quit fighting her so she stopped pulling on his arm and slipped her hand gently into the crook of his elbow. Her scowl changed to a smile. To a casual observer, they might have looked like a couple out for an evening stroll and Jennifer wished that it was true. She wanted to hear him say "I love you" again and to say it back but the time was not right, not yet. He would think she was only declaring her love because he'd nearly died, so she just enjoyed this time with him.

When they arrived at his quarters she insisted on coming in with him. She didn't trust him not to leave again so she pulled a chair up next to his bed and took him by the hand. He still tired easily so it didn't take long for him to drop off. Once he was asleep and snoring softly she tried to extract her hand but he clutched it tighter. A few minutes later she, too, was asleep.

*****

Jumper three lifted out of the bay and headed away from the planet. Once in space, Sheppard and Jeannie switched places. It had been a while since she'd done this so it took a little time to even out her path but eventually she was flying straight and true.

"So, where would you like to go? Starbuck's for coffee? Down to the park to feed the ducks? I know. How about a quick turn through the asteroid belt around the eighth planet?"

"Oh, _that_ sounds like fun! Which way?" She turned the Jumper in the indicated direction and increased their speed. "Here we go!" She said when they entered the asteroid belt. She turned, twisted and dodged the floating rocks like she'd been born to it. A few of the smaller ones impacted the exterior of the Jumper with little or no damage.

"What were you so worried about? You're doing great."

She laughed. "You can thank 'Flight of the _Hippalektryon_.' It's a game for Wii."

He pictured the slim blonde woman in front of him playing an intense space battle game and chuckled out loud. "Why did you think you needed another lesson?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. If my brother is going to be side-seat flying I want to make sure I know what I'm doing so he can't criticize."

John grinned ruefully. "That's never stopped him before so what makes you think it will this time?"

"Hope? With everything that was going on while we were in the shrine, he didn't realize I could use the life signs detector but this" she indicated the Jumper, "I think he'll notice." An alarm went off bringing their attention back to the HUD. "What's that?"

"Proximity alarm." He pointed out the window. "It thinks we're getting a little too close to that really big rock there. Uh, I think so, too."

"Oh, okay." She adjusted their course but the alarm kept sounding.

"We're still too close. Let me take over."

"No. No, I got it." Their trajectory changed again but now they appeared to be headed straight for the asteroid, the brownish-gray rock filling the screen until it was all they could see. Craters where smaller asteroids had impacted could have been a few feet across or a few miles, there was no way to know for certain. The alarm was still ringing making her ears throb. "Turn that thing _off _so I can concentrate!"

He did as she requested then stood beside her, one hand resting on the console and the other on the back of her seat. "Jeannie, why don't you-"

"John! We'll be fine if you just stay…out…of…the…" Their path veered straight down then the nose of the Jumper lifted up and around in a complete 360 and kept going. It veered away from the asteroid at the last second with a spiral roll to the left, the inertial dampeners and engines whining in protest. The dark of space without the floating rocks reappeared. "…way. Whoa! _Yeah!_ _That_ was _FUN!_ _Who_ wants to go _again?_" She laughed and put her hand up for a high five then she saw John's face. "What?"

"You scared the _hell _out of me!" A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "Were you an East European cab driver in a former life?"

She stifled a laugh. "Well, all you had to do was keep _quiet_ while I…Oh, John, you're not _kidding_. I'm sorry."

He sat down, his elbows on the console and head in hands. "Don't. Do. It. Again. _Ever._"

"Okay. I promise." She made an X over her heart then glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He still had his eyes covered. "Jo-hn, Jeannie wants to see a smile. Pretty please? With whipped cream on top?" No response. "Jeannie will buy Johnny a beer when we get back if he gives her just one teeny tiny itty bitty smile. Come on. You can do it." She kept up the wheedling sing-song intonation until he gave in and his lips reluctantly curled upward in the smallest of smiles.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it? So…where to now?"

"How about back to Atlantis?" He looked up at her, his hazel eyes filled with an indecipherable emotion. "You promised me a beer."

"I certainly did." She adjusted their heading toward Atlantis, engaged the autopilot and relaxed back in her seat. "So, John, are you seeing anyone?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's a simple enough question. Either you are or you aren't. Which is it?"

"Uh…"

Her eyes widened and she nodded in comprehension. "Ah-_ha!_"

"What does _that_ mean?"

She laughed. "It means you have your eye on someone but she's either oblivious, doesn't return your affection or is seeing someone else, married, whatever." She watched him without blinking.

He tried to stare her down but it didn't work so he looked out the front window and pondered her statement. "All of the above. How did you know?"

"It's a woman thing. If I told you then I would have to kill you. No, really. It's in the manual."

He laughed but said nothing further for the rest of the trip back to Atlantis. They went to the bar and she bought him a beer as promised. They talked, mostly about Rodney, Kaleb and Madison, said good night then went their separate ways.

*****

Rodney became aware of his surroundings slowly. He felt warm, safe and protected and was reluctant to move or the dream might evaporate. Snuggling himself deeper into his bed he sighed in contentment. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open when he realized that the warmth wasn't his imagination. He felt a body spooning him from behind, an arm across his chest and one leg slung over both of his. His hand touched the slender arm and followed it up to an elbow then beyond to a shoulder where he felt long soft hair. He smelled vanilla. _Oh, good. It's a woman._ Lifting the sheet draped over himself and his mysterious bedmate, he peeked underneath and was relieved to see that both of them were fully dressed except for shoes. _Oh, thank God! But who is it? What did I _do_ last night? I don't remember anything except…_

His memory cleared and he recalled being outside the Mess Hall last night where he saw Jeannie and Sheppard leave together. He was in the middle of creating an especially heinous punishment for Sheppard for subverting his married sister when the body nestled against his back shifted and pulled him closer. Her nose pressed against his neck and soft breath whispered across his skin driving him crazy. His eyes closed and he groaned. _Jennifer. It's Jennifer. I should have known!_

She rubbed her hand across his chest then stopped. He could feel her muscles tense just before she pushed away and jumped to her feet. On the other side of the bed he did the same. She faced him, the sheet clutched to her chest. "Rodney, what are you doing in my room?"

"This is _my_ room."

Pulling the sheet away and peeking underneath, she realized she was fully dressed and tossed it on the bed. "Oh." She scratched her head. "What am I doing here again?"

"You didn't trust me to stay put so…" He waved his hands at the chair pulled up next to the bed. "Well, you fell asleep in the, uh, then, I guess, at some point you, um…"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry."

"I-i-it's okay." He blushed. "No, uh, harm done."

"No, of course not. I, uh, I'll just…" She pointed at the door.

He came around the bed. "Um, before you go could I, uh, maybe ask your advice on something?"

"Sure."

He shifted his feet nervously while wringing his hands. "Uh, just before you found me, you know, outside the Mess Hall, well, I saw Jeannie with, uh, Sheppard. Do you think they're…"

"Definitely not!" She stated emphatically. Her hand rested on his arm and her voice became soft. "Rodney, your sister loves her husband and would _never_ do anything to betray him. And John is not the type of man to fool around with a married woman. Remember, the best proof of love…is trust. You love both of them so trust them to be friends and nothing else."

"O-o-okay. Thanks, you know, for everything."

"No problem. The advice is free but you'll be getting a bill for my services. Don't worry. I have a special rate for surgery done in abandoned radioactive shrines with a rechargeable drill." She poked him in the stomach with a finger then left him alone. He contemplated her advice while he showered and changed. _She's right. I need to trust them. Okay, no more Kirk references and no more suspicions. Maybe just the first part for now. Baby steps, McKay. Baby steps._

*****

Rodney managed to convince Zelenka to bring him his workstation from the lab so he could get some work done. While he waited for it to boot up the Czech fussed over him. "Are you certain that you are up to working? How could Jennifer have released you so soon after your surgery? Perhaps I should also have brought you something to eat."

"I'm _fine_, Radek. I haven't been able to do anything for weeks and there's quite a bit to catch up on so if you could just…" he waved toward the door.

"Alright. I will leave you alone. But be certain that you are getting as much rest as you require or I will call Jennifer."

"Yeah, yeah. Go. _Now!_"

*****

"Where are we going again?" Rodney asked.

"You'll see." Jeannie gave him a secretive smile as she led him down the hall. They entered a transport and exited in the Control Room. "It's just up the stairs." She waved to the young man standing next to Amelia. "Hey, Chuck!"

"Hi, Mrs. Miller."

"Everything ready?"

"Ready and waiting."

Rodney brought his sister to a stop with a hand on her arm. "That's the Jumper bay."

She continued on but he lagged behind. "I know. I want to show you something."

"But-"

"It won't take long." He followed her reluctantly. When they got to the bay she opened the first Jumper they came to and directed him to sit in the shotgun seat. "This is going to be a bit of a shock but watch this…" She sat in the pilot's seat, took a deep breath and placed both hands on the console. The ship powered up and she began manipulating the controls as if she'd done it all her life.

"Wh-" Rodney was speechless. He stared at his sister as if she'd grown a second head.

"Sit back and relax, Meredith. We're just going for a quick ride to the mainland for a picnic." She indicated the basket sitting in the rear compartment then addressed the air. "Flight, this is Jumper three, we're go to launch."

"Jumper three, you are cleared to launch at your convenience." Chuck's voice came over the intercom. "Good luck, Mrs. Miller."

"Thanks, Chuck."

The ship lifted up through the open dome and headed out into space.

*****

Twenty minutes later the bay doors opened and the Jumper settled gently into its assigned space. Chuck and Amelia waited at the bottom of the stairs to congratulate Jeannie on her first solo flight and to find out why they were back so soon but no one came down. They exchanged a look and headed up. As they entered the bay they could hear loud voices just before Rodney pushed angrily past them and disappeared down the stairs.

"Is everything okay, Mrs. Miller?"

"Yes, Chuck. My brother is just being a horse's…posterior, though that's not unusual. This little trip was to show him that I've had the gene therapy, too."

Amelia patted her back in sympathy. "It doesn't look like he took it very well, Ma'am."

"He didn't." She touched her headset. "Colonel Sheppard?"

"This is Sheppard."

"John, I need to see you."

"What did Rodney now?"

She sighed heavily. "To start with, he's not happy that I was given the gene therapy _or_ that it worked."

"Well, we knew that would happen. What else?"

Her eyes met those of Chuck and Amelia. "He's challenged me to…a Jumper duel."

**TBC**

**A/N 2:** The _Hippalektryon_is a beast with the foreparts of a horse and the tail, wings and hind-legs of a rooster. The creature occurs only in early Athenian vase painting, and may be based on an early artistic rendering of the winged horse Pegasus. For this story, "The Flight of the _Hippalektryon_" is a fictional space combat game for Wii.


	3. The Shrine Missing Scenes Part 2

**A/N: **Once again, you have voyfan7 to thank/blame for the idea for this story.

**The Shrine**

**Scenes That Should Have Been Included But Weren't**

**Jeannie and the Gene - Part Two**

"Are you both clear on the rules?" Rodney and Jeannie nodded. "The Control Room will monitor the live video feeds as well as project your flight path so Woolsey and Major Lorne can judge who is navigating closest to the designated route. After that, you'll take a quick turn though the asteroid field, perform a few basic yet highly effective maneuvers then head back to base." He passed them each a control crystal with a map of the route they were to take and they climbed the stairs to the Jumper bay.

Jennifer hovered over Rodney, following him into Jumper one. She was listing symptoms he should be wary of, dizziness, headache, blurred vision, and so forth, and shooting a never ending stream of advice at him. "…and for goodness sake, be _careful_. Make sure the inertial dampeners are on at _all times_ and-"

"I will be _fine,_ Jennifer. I promise." A surge of power thrummed through the ship. "Please close the hatch on your way out."

"Maybe I should come along, just in case."

"No passengers allowed. Sheppard's orders."

"But I'm not going as a passenger. I'm going as your doctor. Do you know that as CMO my orders supersede his in matters that involve the health of the crew?"

"Yes, but it was the only way to keep him from riding with Jeannie and giving her advice during this…thing."

She didn't like it but gave in gracefully. "Oh, okay. Just-"

"I know. I _know._ Be careful." She finally left him alone to think about what he and his sister were doing. _This is _dad's _fault! He encouraged us to compete against each other when we were kids and now it's too late to stop. Too bad Jennifer didn't forbid me to go so I could back out and still keep my dignity. I'm sure we could have found another way to-_

"Jumpers one and three, this is Flight. You are cleared to launch."

"Flight, this is Jumper one. Go for launch." He heard Jeannie's voice and saw her Jumper lift out of the bay and head into space. He followed a few seconds later then brought up the HUD. Several blips appeared where Sheppard's men and women were stationed along the route just in case someone needed rescuing.

He dropped the control crystal given to him into the proper slot and his course popped up on the HUD. He adjusted his heading accordingly and concentrated on flying.

*****

_How could I have let him goad me into doing this? He flies all the time and this is only my fourth time in the pilot seat. Maybe I should let him win. No! I wouldn't be able to look him in the eye if I didn't do my best. Besides, it will just make matters worse if he finds out. _Jeannie shook her head to clear it and focused on the route she was supposed to be navigating.

*****

Sheppard watched the split screen and marveled at Rodney and Jeannie's competitiveness that was so much like he and his brother. However, the brother and sister had an indefinable something that set them apart. It was there in the way their faces scrunched up while they were concentrating, the way they would look at you with identical unblinking blue-eyed expressions that made you question your own sanity instead of theirs just for a moment or the way they finished each other's sentences sometimes. He'd always regretted not having that same sort of closeness with David. _Maybe it's time for us to make peace._

It was twenty minutes into the contest and as far as he could see they were just about even with Jeannie a little behind. He was certain that she'd prevail when it came to the asteroid field though. That fancy bit of flying she'd done while they were out a few days ago had scared the crap out of him, which was not easy, but she was an excellent pilot for someone who'd come to it only recently. Plus she was more confident in her abilities than Rodney. Sometimes it was hard to believe they shared the same DNA.

He wasn't sure who he wanted to win. Rodney had been his friend for the last five years and Jeannie had become a friend as well. He and Rodney had saved each other's lives on more occasions than he could remember. Something like that was bound to bring closeness. And then there's Jeannie, a kinder, gentler version of Rodney. They were two sides of the same Canadian coin. She made friends more easily than Rodney and the emotions ran deep, just in a different way. Despite his abrasive and superior attitude, or maybe because of it, Rodney instilled loyalty and devotion in those around him. He had an inner strength that rivaled that of his sister but he needed motivation, an incentive to bring it to the surface where it could blossom in the light of day or even the dark of night.

With a deep breath Sheppard pushed those thoughts aside and concentrated on the matter at hand. It was time for them to head for the asteroid belt and he didn't want to miss anything. _Maybe they could use a few words of encouragement._ He moved to Amelia's side. "Open a channel." A moment later she nodded. "Rodney, Jeannie, everyone wants to wish both of you luck. We know you'll both do well. And, uh, well, that's it. Just be_ careful_. Sheppard out."

"I should have gone with him." He turned and Jennifer was standing next to him looking worried.

"You know McKay. He'll be fine." Leaning closer he whispered, "Maybe you should have told him."

"Told him what?"

"That you have feelings for him."

"How-how did you know?"

A smile lifted one corner of his mouth. "Observation. I saw your face when he told you he loved you and understand why you didn't say anything then but why keep it a secret now?"

She looked at the floor to avoid looking him in the eye. "The time isn't right. I don't want him to think I'm saying it just because he came so close to dying again."

"Okay, just don't wait too long."

"I won't. Thanks."

"No problem. I live to meddle."

*****

Jeannie flew into the asteroid field twisting and turning around the floating rocks. She made a loop, a full 360 then skimmed the surface of the same big rock that had caused so much trouble when John had taken her out the other day. Secretly, she thought it looked like a giant potato. The proximity alarms went off again. This time she just ignored them and concentrated on not hitting anything. Her path took her over the end she thought of as "up" though direction meant nothing in space. She made another 360, a quick spiral, flipping over twice then out into space headed back toward Atlantis. _I'll just hang out here and watch Meredith. I hope he's okay._

*****

Rodney took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves but it didn't help. The adrenaline pumped into his system in an unending stream making him jittery, like he'd just knocked back a double espresso. He started tapping the floor with his left foot to work off some of the excess energy but that didn't help either. _Jeannie did really well in the asteroid field. How am I going to beat her without showboating? Not that I can do anything like that and even if I could it's against the rules. _He eased the controls forward and entered the asteroid field, performed the routine he'd been given, ended with the double spiral and shot out into space again.

He eased over to hover near Jeannie as Sheppard's voice came over the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, civilians and military, this concludes our first and hopefully _only _Jumper duel. Let's have a big round of applause for our two competitors, Mrs. Jean Miller and Dr. Rodney McKay." In the background they could hear cheers, whistles and thunderous applause. "Our judges, Mr. Richard Woolsey and Major Evan Lorne, will withdraw to the main conference room to deliberate. They will announce the winner in thirty minutes.

"Everyone return to base. An impromptu get-together will be starting in the bar just about…" he checked the time "…now! All off-duty personnel are invited to attend. And by the way, for those of you taking bets as to the outcome, don't forget, the 'house', that's me, gets ten percent. Sheppard out." He turned to Chuck and Amelia. "I'll be in the bar."

"Yes, sir. Most of the others have already returned. We're just waiting on Lieutenant Kemp, Dr. McKay and Mrs. Miller."

"When they get back..."

"I'll send them down, Colonel." Ronon lagged behind his friend watching Amelia work. She looked up, flashed him a smile. His eyes asked a question, she nodded; he smiled then headed for the bar.

Sheppard made it as far as the first landing when Amelia called to him. Her smile was gone now. "Colonel! We've been trying to contact Lieutenant Kemp but there's no response. His Jumper is headed away from New Athos toward the sun. We're showing a failure of the navigation system. Communications are down, too."

"McKay, this is Sheppard. Lieutenant Kemp isn't responding. His navigation and communications are down."

"I'm on it. What Jumper is he in?"

"Uh…" Chuck held up a four and a three. "…seven."

"Oh, crap! We've been having trouble with that one since…never mind. I'll get back to you."

*****

Rodney veered away from Atlantis. He already had somewhat of a plan by the time he caught up with Kemp's Jumper. He tried unsuccessfully to make contact. _Damn!_ He'd been hoping it was only long range communications that were out. The trouble was now he couldn't tell Kemp how to fix the problem so he had to come up with a solution from outside.

A blip appeared on his screen. "Jeannie, what are you doing? Go back to Atlantis!"

"What if you need help?"

"Just this _once_ would you _please_ do as you're told without arguing?"

There was a short pause then, "Okay." She'd pulled back but only a few hundred thousand kilometers. Far enough away not to be affected by the radiation but close enough to come to their aide if they should need it.

_Not good but I'll take it._ He hoped she would stay where she was. He didn't want to lose her now that they were together again nor did he want to think about having to tell his brother-in-law and niece that she'd received a fatal dose of radiation and it was his fault. _And this _is_ my fault. If I had just been happy for her when she told me she'd had the gene therapy we wouldn't be here now. We'd be back on Atlantis spending quality time together instead of…_

An alarm sounded bringing his eyes back to the HUD. "Oh, crap!" He said out loud. "Atlantis, this McKay. My sensors indicate that Kemp just lost environmental. I have an idea. It's low tech but right now we don't have time for anything else."

"Copy that, Jumper three. Medical is ready and waiting." Sheppard's calm voice came over the radio.

Rodney switched to short range communications. "Jeannie, I may need your help after all. If I do, you need to do exactly as I say when I say it _without question!_ Is that clear?" He was using the intractable and uncompromising tone that often sent his staff scurrying to obey.

Her answer came immediately. "Yes, Meredith."

He was astonished at how meekly she'd complied. She hadn't done that since she was three and he was nine. It made him immediately suspicious.

Their parents had left them alone while they went to drop his mother's car off at the mechanic and two men had broken into the house. He'd taken her upstairs to his room where they hid under the bed. She kept asking questions and he finally demanded she be quiet and she'd actually complied. A few minutes later, the men had left by the back door without taking anything of value when they heard his parents return. He didn't know that the footsteps he now heard on the stairs were his parents and had continued to hold her close with a hand over her mouth. She'd started to squirm causing him to grip her even tighter. That is until she bit him. He yelped and she'd taken the opportunity to get away. A few moments later his dad had appeared at the bedroom door holding Jeannie in his arms telling him it was safe to come out.

He pushed the memory from his mind and got back to work. Manipulating the controls he increased his speed and finally caught up with Kemp. Maneuvering until they were side by side he tried to gently nudge the other ship off course so it would miss the sun but was only able to alter their heading by a few degrees. It wasn't enough to keep them from entering the coronasphere and dying of radiation exposure so it looked like he would need to take more drastic measures. He checked the time. If Kemp was able to get to the emergency oxygen supply he would be okay but they couldn't make that assumption. Rodney had to hurry before the young man died of anoxia.

Pulling away, he looped back around, increased his speed and, taking a deep breath, rammed his Jumper into the side of the malfunctioning one causing its engines to finally shut down. Slowly but surely they veered away from the sun and back toward New Athos. Now all he had to do was disengage the Jumpers from each other and let Atlantis take it from here. When the damaged Jumper got close enough the autopilot would kick in and bring it into the bay.

When they approached the planet he tried to pull away but the Jumpers were jammed tight. "McKay to Flight. The Jumpers are wedged together and I can't separate them. We won't be able to fit through the bay doors so we'll be landing on the mainland. Send medical and two repair teams!"

"Roger that, Jumper three. Already on the way." Chuck's voice came back after a slight pause.

Rodney switched to short range communications. "Jeannie, I need you to follow us to the mainland just in case."

"Right behind you!"

*****

Rodney landed in a large field then rushed to help Lieutenant Kemp. The Lieutenant's Jumper was fully upright while Rodney's was canted at a 47 degree angle, the drive pods so wedged together that the landing didn't free them from each other as he'd hoped. He clicked the remote and was relieved when the hatch opened. Inside he found Kemp slumped over the control panel. Grabbing the man under the arms he lowered him to the floor and dragged him to the rear compartment. Outside he could hear Jeannie's Jumper land and a few moments later she dropped to her knees across from him.

"How is he?"

"There's no pulse and he's not breathing. We need to start CPR."

She tilted the dark-haired man's head back, pinched his nose, covered his mouth with hers and blew twice. His chest rose with each breath. Rodney began to perform chest compressions to get the blood again flowing through Kemp's unconscious body. "I hope they get here soon. I can't keep this up for long."

At this moment, two extraordinary things happened. The first was when Aaron Kemp took a deep breath and shot to a sitting position supported by Rodney. He coughed a few times then put his head in his hands and moaned. The second was when a pair of Jumpers landed, disgorging a medical team, including Jennifer Keller, followed closely by Sheppard, Ronon, Radek and eight others from the science department.

Jennifer did a quick preliminary check of Lieutenant Kemp determining that he would be okay then took Rodney by the hand. She led him to a seat in the rear compartment. He pushed her hands away. "Stop fussing. I'm _fine_, Jennifer. Just take care of the Lieutenant."

"Oh, my. Rodney McKay is refusing medical treatment for the second time? It's a miracle!"

"Ha-ha!" He stood as the medical team wheeled the now conscious Lieutenant out the hatch and over to one of the functioning Jumpers. Jeannie came to stand next to him and he slipped an arm around her shoulders. "You did good, sis."

"You too, big brother."

*****

Forty minutes later Rodney and Jeannie entered the bar to thunderous applause. Someone handed each of them a glass of champagne and showed them to a table at the front. Woolsey walked to the middle of the dance floor and motioned for quiet.

"First I would like to thank Mrs. Miller and Dr. McKay for their participation in today's events. I can honestly say that, if it weren't for the two of you, this contest would not have been possible…or necessary." He paused for laughter and cheers. "Next I would like to thank Colonel Sheppard for creating the contest parameters and scoring system and Major Lorne for agreeing to be one of the judges. And finally, I want to commend Lieutenant Aaron Kemp who made it home safe with the help of the Miller-McKay family." More applause and whistles rumbled around the room. "Major Lorne, would you be kind enough to announce the winner."

The Major came to stand next to the commander, a plain white envelope in one hand. "Thank you, Mr. Woolsey. Chuck, could we have a drum roll, please?" The sound of drums filled the room. "And the winner of Atlantis' first Jumper Duel is…"

"Stop!" Rodney and Jeannie jumped to their feet at the same time. Confusion rolled around the room.

Jeannie: "Uh, we've decided that it doesn't matter …"

Rodney: "…who the winner is and we're sorry for causing…"

Jeannie: "…so much trouble and want to thank everyone for everything …"

Rodney: "…and to remind you that this was all _Sheppard's _fault."

Sheppard turned to his friend. "_My _fault? How is this _my_ fault?"

"Well, it was _your_ idea to give her" he pointed at his sister, "the gene therapy."

"Yeah, but you're the one that issued the challenge when you found out she could do everything you can do _and _she can do it better!" The Colonel crossed his arms smugly.

"Better?! Yeah, right!" The three of them, Rodney, Jeannie and Sheppard, were now standing nose to nose, shouting and shaking their fingers at each other. Jeannie alternated poking the two men in the chest to emphasize her points. Sparks of anger and lingering resentment were coming from their eyes. Woolsey and Lorne tried to intervene but were ignored so they stood back and just watched the show.

The disagreement ended abruptly when brother and sister stalked off in opposite directions. That was when Sheppard noticed that all activity had come to a halt and all eyes were now on him. Plastering on a sheepish smile, Sheppard took a step forward and said, "Nothing is as frustrating as arguing with someone who knows what he or she is talking about. Sam Ewing said that."

The room dissolved into relieved laughter and everyone went back to partying.

*****

The next day Jennifer did a full examination of Rodney then ordered him to rest, no working, for at least two days so Jeannie went to his quarters that night, announced her presence and waited for admittance. The door slid open on Rodney's irritated face. "What the _hell_-oh, Jeannie. What are you…?"

She wheeled a food cart into the room. "I thought we could have supper together, just the two of us. 'For every minute you're angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.' I would rather have happiness than anger between us so," she indicated the covered trays on the food cart, "Vegetarian Angel Hair Pasta Primavera, spinach salad, chocolate cream pie and tea. We can eat and talk."

"Uh, thanks a-a-and, uh, ditto." He pulled a chair up to the table for each of them and put his napkin in his lap. "Talk about what?"

"Whatever you want."

"This is your party. _You_ start."

Jeannie removed the cover from her plate and scooped up a forkful of pasta, vegetables and sauce. "So, tell me, what stupid thing did you do to make Katie dump you?"

*****

Jennifer came running at Radek's urgent call. He was outside Rodney's quarters looking agitated. "Radek, what's wrong?"

"I am worried about Rodney. He's not answering. I was going to use my override code but waited for you, just in case."

Jennifer entered her own override code and the door snapped open on a very strange scene. Stepping inside, mouths open in shock, Jennifer and Radek saw Rodney coming out of the bathroom with a wet washcloth in each hand. He and his sister were covered in pasta, sauce and vegetables. Chocolate pie filling, meringue and pie crust were mixed in, too. The food cart was overturned, broken dishes were scattered across the floor, the pieces mixed in with the pasta, dessert, silverware and the remains of a spinach salad. On the desk a glass lay on its side. Tea and melting ice made a small pool where it dripped onto the floor. Another glass lay shattered where it had obviously been thrown against the wall.

"What the _hell _is going on here?" Jennifer demanded. "Have you two been fighting again?"

Brother and sister exchanged a look, one that siblings often shared when they were reading each other's minds. Rodney handed Jeannie one of the wet towels and they both looked offended that she would even suggest such a thing. "Of course not!" They said in unison.

"Then _what happened?_"

Jeannie: "Well, I-I-I brought supper for Mer and me…"

Rodney: "…then we sat down to eat…"

Jeannie: "…and started to talk about…"

Rodney: "…l-l-lots of things and then she, uh…"

Jeannie: "…yeah. Then I…that is _we_…"

Rodney: "…yes, _we_ were eating a-a-and…"

Jeannie: "…_he_ said something…"

Rodney: "…and then she, well, _we_…"

"_Enough!_" Jennifer shouted waving her hands. "Please _stop!_ You're making me dizzy, not to mention I'm not hearing _anything_ to explain…" she gestured at the mess, "…this!"

They both started talking at once but still saying nothing to clarify the situation. Finally, they ran down and just stood there with identical looks of sheepish amusement. Rodney swiped the towel over his face, down his arms then through his hair dislodging bits of pasta, vegetables and a chunk of pie crust. Jeannie did the same, rubbed at a spot on the front of her t-shirt then finally gave up and tossed the towel to Rodney who tossed both in the laundry basket in the corner.

"You hungry?" Rodney asked to his sister with a smile.

"Starving!"

"Let's go to the Mess Hall and get something to eat. It's, uh, on me." They both looked down at their soiled clothing and laughed. She poked him with an elbow then took him by the hand.

"Deal."

The siblings left through the still open door. Radek and Jennifer watched them go in astonishment. Rodney carefully removed a piece of pasta from Jeannie's hair then hooked his arm around her neck, bent her over and rubbed his knuckles quickly several times over the top of her head. She screamed in pretend pain and fear, gave him a playful shove then put her arm around his waist while he settled an arm around her shoulders. As they disappeared around a corner talking and laughing, Rodney called out over his shoulder, "Lock up when you leave!"

**The End…For Now**


End file.
